As the Obama administration approaches a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, a national survey finds broad public support for the project. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) favor building the pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada’s oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas. Just 23% oppose construction of the pipeline.

Support for the pipeline spans most demographic and partisan groups. Substantial majorities of Republicans (82%) and independents (70%) favor building the Keystone XL pipeline, as do 54% of Democrats. But there is a division among Democrats: 60% of the party’s conservatives and moderates support building the pipeline, compared with just 42% of liberal Democrats.

The national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted March 13-17 among 1,501 adults, finds that the public has mixed opinions about increased use of fracking, a drilling method that uses high-pressure water and chemicals to extract oil and natural gas from underground rock formations. About half (48%) of Americans favor the increased use of this process, while 38% are opposed.

The survey also finds that 69% say there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. That is little changed from last October (67%), but up 12 points since October 2009.

At the same time, however, the percentage of Americans who say that global warming is a very serious problem has slipped six points, from 39% to 33%, since last October.
Current opinions about whether global warming is a very serious problem are similar to those in 2009 and 2010.

Regional, Gender, Partisan Differences in Views of Fracking

There are regional differences in opinions about the increased use of fracking. More than half of those who live in the Midwest (55%) and South (52%) favor the increased use of fracking; there is less support in the West (43%) and Northeast (37%).

While men favor the increased use of fracking by a 55% to 34% margin, women are divided (41% favor, 42% oppose).

Twice as many Republicans (66%) as Democrats (33%) favor the increased use of fracking. Independents, by a 51% to 36% margin, support the increased use of fracking.

Opinions about Global Warming

Currently, 69% say there is solid evidence that the earth’s average temperature has been getting warmer over the past few decades. Among those who see evidence of global warming, more say it is caused mostly by human activity (42% of the public) than by natural patterns in the earth’s environment (23%). Nearly three-in-ten Americans (27%) say there is no solid evidence of warming.

These opinions are little changed from last fall. But four years ago, just 57% saw solid evidence of global warming and 36% said it was mostly caused by human activity.

There has been a sizable partisan gap in views about whether there is solid evidence of global warming since the Pew Research Center began asking this question in 2006. In the current survey, almost twice as many Democrats (87%) as Republicans (44%) say there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been rising. Further, Democrats are three times as likely as Republicans to say that human activity is mostly causing global warming (57% vs. 19%).

Beyond the wide gap between parties in opinions about global warming, there also are differences among Republicans and Democrats.

Moderate and liberal Republicans are far more likely than conservative Republicans to say there is solid evidence of global warming (57% vs. 37%) and are more likely to say it is mostly happening because of human activity (27% vs. 16%).

Most liberal Democrats (92%) and conservative and moderate Democrats (85%) say there is solid evidence of global warming. But far more liberal Democrats (72%) than conservative and moderate Democrats (51%) say the earth is getting warmer mostly because of human activity.

Is Global Warming a Serious Problem?

Most Americans continue to say that global warming is either a very serious problem (33%) or a somewhat serious problem (32%). However, the percentage saying it is a very serious problem has declined six points (from 39%) since October 2012.

Current views about whether global warming is a serious problem are similar to those in 2009 (35% very serious problem) and 2010 (32%). From 2006 through 2008, more than four-in-ten viewed global warming as a very serious problem.

About half of Democrats (48%) say global warming is a very serious problem, an eight-point decline from 56% last October. The percentage of independents saying global warming is a very serious problem also has slipped, from 39% to 31%. Just 14% of Republicans say global warming is a very serious problem; in October, 19% of Republicans expressed this view.

After a series of fiscal crises over the past few years, the public is not expressing a particular sense of urgency over the pending March 1 sequester deadline. With little more than a week to go, barely a quarter have heard a lot about the scheduled cuts, while about as many have heard nothing at all.

And if the president and Congress cannot reach a deficit reduction agreement before the deadline, 40% of Americans say it would be better to let the automatic spending cuts go into effect, while 49% say it would be better to delay the cuts. Both Republicans and independents are divided evenly over which approach is better, and even among Democrats, roughly a third favor letting the sequester take effect over any delays.

The new survey, conducted Feb. 13-18, 2013 with 1,504 adults nationwide, is the first in a collaboration between the Pew Research Center and USA TODAY. It finds that, as with previous conflicts over the debt ceiling and fiscal cliff, Obama holds the upper hand politically over congressional Republicans. If there is no deficit deal by March 1, 49% say congressional Republicans would be more to blame while just 31% would mostly blame President Obama.

Moreover, 76% say that the president and Congress should focus on a combination of spending cuts and tax increases to reduce the budget deficit. Just 19% agree with the current Republican position that tax increases should be off the table.

And while Obama’s 51% job approval rating is down slightly from a post-election high of 55%, it remains well above the 25% approval rating for GOP congressional leaders. The job rating for Democratic leaders is higher (37%), though more disapprove (55%) than approve of their performance.

The poll finds new evidence of the public’s concern over the federal budget deficit. Fully 70% say it is essential for the president and Congress to pass major legislation to reduce the federal budget deficit, including wide majorities across party lines. Last month, the Pew Research Center’s annual policy priorities survey found a sharp rise in the percentage rating deficit reduction as a top priority since 2009.

Far fewer say it is essential to act on three other issues that Obama mentioned prominently in his State of the Union address: 51% say it is essential for the president and Congress to act on major immigration legislation; 46% view major gun legislation as essential; just 34% say it is essential to set new federal policies dealing with climate change.

There are wide partisan differences in attitudes about all four issues. This also is the case in views about whether to raise the minimum wage, another proposal Obama raised in his State of the Union.

By a wide margin (71% to 26%), the public favors increasing the minimum wage from its current level of $7.25 per hour to $9.00 an hour. But while large majorities of Democrats (87%) and independents (68%) favor raising the minimum wage, Republicans are evenly divided (50% favor, 47% oppose).

Among all Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, those who agree with the Tea Party oppose the proposed minimum wage hike by two-to-one (64% to 32%). Those who have no opinion of the Tea Party, or disagree with it, favor increasing the minimum wage by 60% to 36%.

Most Want Deficit Efforts Focused Largely on Spending Cuts

A substantial majority of Americans (76%) feel that both spending cuts and tax increases should be a part of the next step in tackling the federal budget deficit. But an equally large proportion believes that the greater share should come from spending cuts, even if tax hikes are also considered.

Overall, 19% say the focus of deficit reduction efforts should be only on spending cuts; just 3% want to concentrate only on tax increases. About four-in-ten Republicans (42%) favor reducing the deficit with spending cuts alone; that compares with 18% of independents and just 6% of Democrats. Even among Republicans, more favor a combination of spending cuts and tax increases to just spending cuts (56% vs. 42%).

When those who favor a balanced approach to reducing the deficit are asked if the focus should mostly be on spending cuts or tax increases, they overwhelmingly say spending cuts. Overall, 73% say efforts by the president and Congress to reduce the deficit should be only or mostly focused on spending cuts while just 19% say the focus should be only or mostly on tax increases.

Immigration: Plurality Favors Border Security and Path to Citizenship

Nearly half (47%) say the priority for illegal immigration is better border security, stronger law enforcement and creating a way for people here illegally to become citizens if they meet certain requirements. Just a quarter (25%) favors an enforcement-only approach while an identical percentage says the focus should only be on a so-called path to citizenship. The percentage favoring a dual approach to immigration policy has risen modestly since June, from 42% to 47%.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say that better border security and stronger enforcement of immigration laws should be the bigger priority, while Democrats are more likely to want the focus to be on creating a way for illegal immigrants already here to become citizens if they meet certain requirements.

Obama holds a sizable advantage over congressional Republicans on immigration. Half (50%) say that Obama has a better approach to dealing with immigration, compared with 33% who say congressional Republicans have a better approach. Obama’s job approval in handling the nation’s immigration policy, in negative territory for most of his presidency, also has improved.

Currently, about as many approve (44%) as disapprove (43%) of Obama’s handling of immigration policy; in seven surveys since 2009, far more disapproved than approved. Hispanics, in particular, are much more positive about Obama’s job performance on immigration: 63% approve currently, up from just 28% in November 2011.

Views on Gun Control Unchanged Since Shortly After Newtown

Gun control and climate change are potentially even more divisive political issues. For Democrats, 71% say it is essential that the president and Congress pass major gun legislation this year – that is slightly higher than the number saying major deficit reduction legislation is essential (65%). But just 19% of Republicans place the same emphasis on gun legislation. Nearly half of Democrats (47%) view action on climate change as essential this year, compared with 15% of Republicans.

Americans remain divided over whether it is more important to control gun ownership (50%) or protect the right of Americans to own guns (46%), with no significant change in attitudes in the two months since shortly after the Newtown shootings. Similarly, there has been no change in public views about banning high capacity clips (53% favor), banning assault weapons (56% favor), or broader background checks (83% favor).

The percentage of Americans saying there is solid evidence of global warming has steadily increased over the past few years. Currently, 67% say there is solid evidence that the earth’s average temperature has been getting warmer over the past few decades, up four points since last year and 10 points since 2009.

Similarly, an increasing proportion say that the rise in the earth’s temperature has mostly been caused by human activity. Currently, 42% say the warming is mostly caused by human activity, such as burning fossil fuels, while 19% say it is mostly caused by natural patterns in the earth’s environment. Last year, 38% mostly attributed global warming to human activity and in 2010 34% did so.

The national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Oct. 4-7 among 1,511 adults finds increasing numbers of Democrats, Republicans and independents saying there is solid evidence of warming, although there continues to be a substantial partisan divide on this issue. Fully 85% of Democrats say there is solid evidence that the average temperature has been getting warmer, up from 77% last year and similar to levels in 2007 and 2008.

Nearly half of Republicans (48%) say there is solid evidence of warming, compared with 43% last year and 35% in 2009. The percentage of Republicans saying there is solid evidence of warming is still lower than it was in 2006 and 2007, but is now about where it was in 2008. A majority of independents (65%) say there is solid evidence of warming; that is up from 53% in 2009 and lower than from 2006 to 2008.

A majority of moderate and liberal Republicans (58%) say there is solid evidence of warming, including 38% who say it is mostly due to human activity. By contrast, only 43% of conservative Republicans say there is evidence of warming, while 51% say there is not. However, more conservative Republicans say there is evidence of warming than did so last year. In 2011, just 31% said the earth has been warming while 60% said there was no solid evidence of warming.

Large majorities of both conservative and moderate Democrats (83%) and liberal Democrats (91%) think there is solid evidence of warming. But liberal Democrats are more likely to say that warming is mostly because of human activity – 77% say this, compared with 51% of conservative and moderate Democrats. The percentage of liberal Democrats saying warming is mostly caused by human activity increased 13 points from 64% last year.

Do Scientists Agree?

The public continues to be divided on the question of whether scientists agree that the earth is warming mostly because of human activity; 45% say scientists agree while 43% say they do not. This is little changed from 2010. In 2006, far more said that scientists agree (59%) than disagree (29%) that the earth is warming mostly because of human activity. There is a wide partisan divide over the question of scientific consensus: Just 30% of Republicans think scientists agree, compared with 58% of Democrats. Independents, like the public overall, are divided.

Many continue to see global warming as a problem; 64% of Americans say it is a very serious (39%) or somewhat serious (25%) problem. That is virtually unchanged from last year and still lower than from 2006 to 2008.

A majority of Democrats (56%) say that global warming is a very serious problem. By contrast, just 19% of Republicans think it is a very serious problem while the majority (55%) says it is not too serious or not a problem at all. Among independents, 39% say that global warming is a very serious problem.

Skeptical Seniors

A majority across all age groups say there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth is warming. However, those 65 and older are far less likely to think that warming is mostly because of human activity – just 28% say this, compared with 47% of those under 50. Similarly, just 29% of people 65 and older say that global warming is a very serious problem That compares with about four-in-ten in other age groups.

On views about scientific consensus, the age differences are even greater. A majority of those under 30 (53%) say that scientists generally agree the earth is getting warmer because of human activity. By contrast, a plurality of seniors (46%) say scientists generally disagree while just 31% say they agree. Those ages 30 to 64 are divided in whether they think scientists generally agree or disagree about global warming.

Global Warming and the 2012 Vote

Fully 88% of voters who support Barack Obama say there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been increasing over the past few decades while just 8% say there is not. And 63% say that the warming is mostly because of human activity.

By contrast, just 42% of Mitt Romney supporters say there is solid evidence of warming while as many (49%) say there is not. Just 18% of Romney supporters think the earth is warming mostly because of human activity.

Obama supporters also are far more likely than Romney supporters to say global warming is a very serious problem (59% vs. 13%). Fully 58% of Romney supports say it is not too serious or not a problem.

In total, 51% of the public says that – from what they have seen and heard – the price of gasoline has gone down over the past month. More than four-in-ten (44%) say the price has gone down a little, while 7% say it has gone down a lot, according to the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted May 24-27, 2012 among 1,012 adults. At the same time, 39% say the price has gone up; 22% say a lot, while 17% say a little.

Experiences differ significantly by region. Seven-in-ten (70%) of those in West Coast states say the cost of gasoline has gone up at least a little over the past month; 42% say it has gone up a lot. By contrast, nearly two-thirds (65%) along the East Coast say the cost has gone down and most (58% of those in the region) say it has gone down a little. In both cases, the prevailing perceptions match what is happening in the market.

According to numbers released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, prices did decline over the past month in most regions of the country – while they rose in the west. Nationwide, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline has dropped 19 cents from an average of $3.76 the week of April 30 to an average of $3.58 this week. In the West Coast states, the average cost increased from $4.05 a gallon in late April to $4.16 in the last week of May. On the other hand, the average price on the East Coast dropped from $3.81 to $3.52 – 29 cents – during the same time period.

Across the country, lower income Americans are less likely to say that gasoline prices are falling. A clear majority of those earning $75,000 or more say prices have gone down (56%), while 37% say they have gone up. In households earning less than $30,000, about as many say the price has gone up (47%), as say it has done down (41%).

And Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to say gasoline prices are falling. Democrats are divided in their views: 47% say prices have gone down, while 42% say they have been rising. Among Republicans, about six-in-ten (59%) say prices have gone down, while 33% say they have gone up. Among independents: 53% say prices have gone down, while 38% say they have gone up.

At a time of rising gas prices, the public’s energy priorities have changed. More Americans continue to view the development of alternative energy sources as a higher priority than the increased production of oil, coal and natural gas, but the gap has narrowed considerably over the past year.

Moreover, support for allowing more offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters, which plummeted during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, has recovered to pre-spill levels. Nearly two-thirds (65%) favor allowing increased offshore drilling, up from 57% a year ago and 44% in June 2010, during the Gulf spill.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted March 7-11, 2012 among 1,503 adults, finds that 52% say the more important priority for addressing the nation’s energy supply is to develop alternative sources, such as wind, solar and hydrogen technology, while 39% see expanding the exploration and production of oil, coal and natural gas as the greater priority.

A year ago, the public viewed the development of alternative energy sources as the more important priority by a much wider margin (63% to 29%). Since then, support for expanding production of oil and other traditional sources has increased among most demographic and political groups and the shift among Republicans has been particularly pronounced.

In March 2011, Republicans were evenly divided over how to address the energy supply: 47% said the more important priority was to develop alternative sources, while 44% said it was to expand exploration and production of oil, coal and natural gas. In the current survey, just a third of Republicans (33%) view development of alternatives as more important, while 59% say the more important priority is to expand exploration and production of oil and other traditional energy sources.

As in past Pew Research Center surveys, there continues to be broad public support for an array of policies aimed at addressing the nation’s energy supply: 78% favor requiring better fuel efficiency for cars, trucks and SUVs; 69% favor more federal funding for research on wind, solar and hydrogen technology; and 65% favor spending more on subway, rail and bus systems.

But while support for each of these policies has been steady or down modestly in recent years, support for allowing more offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters has increased. Currently, more than twice as many favor than oppose increased offshore drilling (65% vs. 31%). In June 2010, only 44% favored more offshore drilling while 52% were opposed. The balance of opinion today is almost identical to what it was in February 2010, two months before the Gulf oil disaster (63% favor, 31% oppose).

Nonetheless, Americans are far more divided over whether the government should give tax cuts to energy companies to do more exploration for oil and gas; 46% favor this while 50% are opposed. Opinion about tax cuts for energy companies is about where it was in 2008.

Support for promoting the increased use of nuclear power, which slipped after last year’s Japan nuclear disaster, has recovered modestly. Currently, 44% favor the increased use of nuclear power while 49% are opposed. Last March, 39% favored greater use of nuclear power and 53% were opposed.

The survey also finds there is limited awareness of the energy drilling method known as fracking, which is used to extract natural gas from underground rock formations: Just 26% say they have heard a lot about fracking, while 37% have heard a little and 37% have heard nothing at all.

Among those who have heard about fracking, there is more support than opposition. About half (52%) favor fracking, while 35% are opposed to the process. As with opinions about many other energy policies there is a wide partisan gap in views of fracking: 73% of Republicans who have heard of fracking favor it, compared with 54% of independents and just 33% of Democrats.

Republicans Back More Drilling; Democrats Favor Alternatives

There continue to be large partisan differences in views of various energy policies. Fully 89% of Republicans favor allowing more offshore oil and gas drilling while only half of Democrats agree. A majority of independents (64%) support increased drilling off the U.S. coast.

Republicans also are more likely than Democrats to favor giving tax cuts to energy companies for oil and gas exploration and promoting the increased use of nuclear power.

By contrast, Democrats and independents are far more likely than Republicans to favor increased federal funding for alternative energy research, spending more on mass transit and requiring better fuel efficiency for vehicles. About eight-in-ten Democrats (81%) and 70% of independents support increased funding for alternative energy, compared with 52% of Republicans.

The partisan differences in opinions about federal funding for alternative energy research and other policies are not new; last November, 83% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and just 53% of Republicans and GOP leaners favored increased federal funding on research into alternative energy technology. But as recently as April 2009, there were virtually no partisan differences in views of federal funding for research into alternative energy.

Priorities for U.S. Energy Policy

Over the past year, there has been an increase in the percentage of Republicans, particularly conservative Republicans, who view the expansion of exploration and production of oil, coal and natural gas as a more important priority for addressing the nation’s energy supply than the development of alternative energy sources.

Conservative Republicans now prioritize traditional energy sources over alternative sources by a 65% to 26% margin; a year ago they were divided (47% oil, coal, natural gas vs. 43% alternative energy).

But increasing numbers in other groups – including Westerners and older Americans – also prioritize the development of energy from traditional sources.

Among those living in the West, 53% say it is more important to develop alternative energy while 39% prioritize traditional sources. Last year, the margin was 73% to 19%.

In the current survey, men 50 and older say it is more important to expand exploration from traditional energy sources, by 51% to 37%. A year ago, older men prioritized the development of alternative energy sources by a comparable margin (54% to 35%).

Awareness and Views about Fracking

A majority of the public (63%) has heard a lot (26%) or a little (37%) about fracking, a drilling method used to extract natural gas from underground rock formations. Men, older people and college graduates are far more likely than their counterparts to have heard at least a little about fracking.

Among those who have heard at least a little about fracking, 52% favor it while 35% are opposed and 13% offer no opinion.

Men who have heard about fracking favor the practice by about two-to-one (61% vs. 29%). Women are evenly split (40% favor; 41% are opposed). Although young people are less likely to have heard about fracking, those who have are just as likely as older people to favor it.

But there is a wide education difference in views about fracking. College graduates are about evenly split – 45% favor fracking while 43% are opposed. A majority of those with some college (56%) or a high school education or less (56%) support fracking.

There is little regional variation in the shares who have heard about fracking, although those in the Northeast are more likely to have heard a lot (36% have heard a lot, compared with 23% in the rest of the country). Among those who have heard at least a little, there is virtually no regional difference in opinion about fracking; about half favor this across all regions.
Republicans who have heard at least a little about fracking are far more likely than Democrats to favor the process (73% vs. 33%), and there is little difference in opinion among Republicans. But among Democrats who are aware of fracking, there is a wide ideological gap. Conservative and moderate Democrats are split about evenly – 39% favor fracking while 43% are opposed. By contrast, liberal Democrats oppose fracking by a 64% to 26% margin.

Roughly one-in-ten (11%) mostly blame Iran, the upheaval in the Middle East or the threat of war in the region, according to the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted Feb. 23-26 among 1,005 adults.

In May 2006, another time of sharply increasing gas prices, 31% pinned the blame on the oil companies or domestic oil producers while 25% named the Bush administration. At that point, 10% blamed OPEC – the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – or foreign oil producers.

A third of Republicans (33%) say that Obama or his administration are most to blame for rising gas prices, while just 12% mostly blame oil companies. Democrats, on the other hand, say the oil companies (16%) or Iran and Middle East unrest more generally (15%) are most to blame. Just 5% say Obama bears this responsibility. Independents largely mirror the public as a whole: 20% name Obama, 15% blame the oil companies and 9% blame Iran and Middle East unrest.

The percentage of Americans who say there is solid evidence of global warming has increased modestly over the past two years. Currently, 63% say there is solid evidence that the earth’s average temperature has been getting warmer over the past few decades. In October 2009, 57% expressed this view.

The number saying global warming is a very serious problem also has ticked up – to 38% currently from 32% last year; 35% said this in 2009.

Nonetheless, substantially fewer Americans say there is solid evidence of global warming than did so from 2006 to 2008. And in those years, higher percentages viewed global warming as a very serious problem than do so today.

The national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Nov. 9-14 among 2,001 adults, finds that nearly four-in-ten (38%) say that global warming is occurring mostly because of human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels, which also is slightly higher than last year (34%). From 2006-2008, 47% said global warming was mostly caused by human activity.

The survey finds a continuing partisan divide in opinions about global warming: 77% of Democrats and 63% of independents say there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. Just 43% of Republicans agree.

There also is a large partisan gap in views about the causes of global warming: 51% of Democrats and 40% of independents say the earth is getting warmer mostly because of human activity. Just 19% of Republicans say rising temperatures are mostly attributable to human activity.

GOP More Internally Divided

Since 2009, there have been sharp increases in the percentages of independents and moderate and liberal Republicans who say there is solid evidence of global warming.

Currently, 63% of independents say there is solid evidence of rising temperatures, up from 53% in October 2009. The shift has been more dramatic among moderate and liberal Republicans, who comprise about a third of all Republicans. More than six-in-ten (63%) now see solid evidence of global warming, compared with 41% two years ago.

Opinions among conservative Republicans have changed little since 2009; currently, just 31% say there is solid evidence the earth is warming. The gap between conservative Republicans and the party’s moderates and liberals has increased from nine percentage points in 2009 to 32 points in the new survey.

College graduates and older Americans also are more likely to see solid evidence of global warming. Two-thirds of college graduates (68%) say there is solid evidence of rising temperatures, up 10 points from 2009. And 61% of those 65 and older express this view today, compared with 50% two years ago.

Most See Warming as Serious Problem

A majority of Americans (65%) say that global warming is either a very serious (38%) or somewhat serious (27%) problem. A third (33%) views global warming as not too serious a problem (16%) or not a problem (17%).

The large partisan and ideological gap over the existence of global warming is reflected in opinions about whether it represents a serious problem. Nine-in-ten (90%) liberal Democrats say global warming is at least a somewhat serious problem, with 64% calling it very serious. Nearly three-quarters of conservative Republicans (73%) say global warming either is not too serious a problem or not a problem; 44% say it is not a problem.

Both parties are internally divided, though the differences are more pronounced among Republicans. While 73% of conservatives say global warming is not much of a problem, only 34% of moderates and conservatives agree. Liberal Democrats are more likely than the party’s conservatives and moderates to view global warming as a very serious problem (64% vs. 50%). And about twice as many conservative and moderate Democrats as liberals say it is little or no problem (21% vs. 9%).

Tea Party Republicans and Global Warming

The GOP’s divisions over global warming also are seen in how Tea Party Republicans and non-Tea Party Republicans view the issue.

Among all Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who agree with the Tea Party, 30% say there is solid evidence of global warming and 11% say it is mostly caused by human activity. A majority (56%) of Republicans and GOP leaners who do not agree with the Tea Party see solid evidence of global warming, and 28% say it is mostly caused by human activity.

And while more than half (55%) of Republicans and leaners who do not agree with the Tea Party view global warming as at least a somewhat serious problem, just 27% of Tea Party Republicans agree.

Public support for increased federal funding on research into alternative energy technology, including solar technology, has decreased substantially since the early months of the Obama administration, with nearly all the decline coming from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

Overall, 68% of the public favors increasing federal funding for research on wind, solar and hydrogen energy technology while 26% are opposed. From 2006 through early 2009, roughly 80% supported increased federal funding for alternative energy research.

Since April 2009, there has been a 30-point decline in the percentage of Republicans and Republican leaners supporting more federal funding for research into alternative energy technologies. Currently, 53% favor this policy, down from 82% in April 2009. There has been little change in opinions among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Currently, 83% of Democrats favor increased funding for research into alternative energy technologies.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted Nov. 3-6 among 1,005 adults, finds that a narrow majority of the public (52%) thinks that government investment is necessary to develop new energy technology. About four-in-ten (39%) say that businesses will produce needed energy technology without government support.

On this measure there also is a large partisan divide. Two-thirds (68%) of Democrats and Democratic leaners say government investment in new energy is necessary. Most Republicans and GOP leaners (59%) say businesses will produce technology without government investment.

Overall, somewhat fewer now say that government investment is needed for the development of new energy technology than did so in April 2009. At that time, 58% viewed government investment as necessary and 32% said businesses were able to produce needed technology without government investment.

Views of Other Energy Policies

Support for government funding for alternative energy research has fallen since 2009, but this policy continues to draw more support than other ways to address America’s supply. Nearly six-in-ten (58%) favor more oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters and the same percentage favors allowing more mining and drilling on federally owned land.

Support for increased offshore drilling is little changed from March, but has increased since last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In June 2o1o, before the spill was contained, only 44% favored more offshore drilling. Slightly fewer Americans favor increased offshore drilling today than did so a few months before the Gulf spill (63% in February 2010).

More Americans continue to oppose (53%) than favor (39%) promoting the increased use of nuclear power. Support for increased use of nuclear power has not recovered following the nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. Opinion about increased nuclear power had been divided prior to the Japan disaster. (For more, see “Opposition to Nuclear Power Rises Amid Japanese Crisis,” March 21, 2011).

Only about four-in-ten (38%) favor government subsidies for ethanol production as a policy for addressing the U.S. energy supply. Nearly half (48%) oppose ethanol subsidies.

Energy Policies Divisive

Nearly eight-in-ten Republicans and Republican leaners (78%) favor allowing more mining and drilling on federally owned land; just 46% of Democrats and Democratic leaners support this policy. The partisan gap is as wide in views of allowing more offshore oil and gas drilling (31 points). In addition, more Republicans (54%) than Democrats (30%) favor promoting the increased use of nuclear power.

More Democrats and Democratic leaners than Republicans and Republican leaners favor promoting federal subsidies for ethanol production (45% vs. 32%). And Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to support increased federal funding for alternative energy research (83% vs. 53%).

In contrast to the gap over alternative energy, the partisan differences over more offshore drilling and increased use of nuclear power date back several years. In April 2009, 86% of Republicans and GOP leaners favored increased offshore oil and gas drilling, compared with 57% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. In addition, 59% of Republicans favored greater use of nuclear power compared with just 38% of Democrats.

About three-in-ten (31%) offer a variation on this theme – greed, oil companies or speculation – when asked what they think is the main reason gasoline prices have gone up recently, according to a Pew Research Center/Washington Post survey conducted April 28-May 1 among 1,006 adults.

Roughly two-in-ten (19%) cite the ongoing wars or unrest in Libya and elsewhere in the Middle East as the top reason for rising fuel prices. Another 14% attribute this to politics or national policies.

Just more than one-in-ten (12%) blame market factors, such as competition with other nations for limited supply (4%) or the approaching summer season (2%).